Heat hardening machine



y 1937- D. J. CAMPBLL 2,085,790

HEAT HARDENING MACHINE Filed May 14, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR .DO/YALD (flMifitZL A TTORNEV July 6, i937. D. J. CAMPBE-LL v 2,085,790

HEAT HARDENING MACHINE Filed May 14, 1934. 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR DONALD J CAMPB ELL A TTORNE Y July 6, 1937. I I D. J. CAMPBELL 2,085,790

HEAT HARDENING MACHINE Filed May 14, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 "/7 l7 6 6'6 30 J I INVENTOR DONALD J CAMPBELL A TTORNE V July 6,1937. 7 D. J. CAMPBELL 8 HEAT HARDEN ING MACHINE Filed May 14, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR DONALD J CAMPBELL A TTORNEY Patented July 6, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEAT HARDENING MACHINE ration of Michigan Application May 14,1934, Serial No. 725,615

16 Claims. (01. 266-5) This invention relates to a machine primarily adapted for the heating of cams upon cam shafts for the purpose of hardening the same. flame from burning fuel being directed against the sides of the cams so as to heat the cams to a high degree of temperature, which may reach 1100 or 1200 F., and produce a low cherry red color in the parts directly heated without raising the temperature of adjacent portions of the cam shaft to anything approaching such high temperatures.

It is an object and purpose of the present invention to provide a heating machine wherein a plurality of cams on a. cam shaft are simultaneously heated to a desired temperature and,

after removal from the machine, cooled with a greater or less degree of rapidity as experience may dictate, the heating of the cams and the quite rapid cooling of the same serving to harden the cams. A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character stated whereby cams and other portions such as bearing-portions of an elongated shaft may be economically heated and hardened,"all of the cams or other bearing portions being simultaneously heated. A 05 still further object of the invention is to provide a machine which is of apractical and durable construction.

Many other objects and purposes than those stated with novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts for attaining the ends desired in a practical manner will be apparent as an understanding of the invention is had from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in' which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine, certain parts thereof being omitted for clearness of disclosure.

of a cam shaft in the Fig. 2 is a vertical section and side elevation with parts broken away showing the mounting machine.

Fig. 3 is a. plan view-with the burner supporting doors in closed position.

Fig.4 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal section, substantially on the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 1, looking downwardly.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged plan showingthe burner supporting doors open for putting in a cold shaft and the removal of a shaft whichhas been heat treated.

the different figures of the drawings.

In the construction of a machine, a heavy supporting base I is provided to which a vertical supporting column 2 is attached at its lower end. The upper end of the column 2 is formed with a forwardly extending horizontal supporting boss 3 and at a distance above the lower end of the column a complementary boss 4 is cast, through both of which a rod 5 passes, on which burner supporting doors 6, substantially semi-cylindrical in 'form, are mounted and whereby they may be swung to open position, as shown in Fig. 5, or to closed position as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Pipes 1 (Figs, 1 and 3) are connected by means of suitable stirrup bolts 8 to supporting bars 9 which extend'from the column 2 rearwardly with respect to the burner carrying doors. Gaseous fuel and air are carried to these pipes. The pipes are supplied with a large number of outiet nipples to which one end of flexible hoses H] are secured, the other ends, through suitable'connections, connecting in pairs with mixing chambers II, which are mounted upon a vertical bar l2, the ends of which are extended forward and supported by the burner supporting doors 6. As shown in Fig. 3 the burners carried by each supporting-door 6 are supplied with fuel and gas from a pipe I, there being two of the pipes land two of the bars l2 which carry the mixing chambers ll.

An outlet flexible hose I3 is connected with each mixing chamber II and at a, distance therefrom is divided to make two branches l4 each-of which, through suitable connections I5, is connected with a secondary mixing chamber l6 mounted upon-- and can'ied by and located at the inner side of a supporting'door 6. As shown in Fig. 4 each of the mixing chambers I6 (and the chambers ll are of a similar construction) has a passage therethrough with two branches. Associated with each of the branch passages is a pipe I1, there being two pipes carried on each of the members l6, which diverge,,-.from each other and are then bent inwardly toward each other,.terminating in nozzles l8 where a final mixture of the gas and air takes place so that'as the fuel mixture escaping from the ends of the nozzles. l8 is properly mixed for substantially complete combustion.

There are a. large number of nozzles l8 thus, H

1y toward a common central vertical axis.

A shaft or bar 20 is mounted for vertical movements in suitable upper and lower guide sleeves on the column 2 back of the rod 5. An arm I 9 is adjustably and detachably secured to theupper end of the bar 20, by the set screw connection shown in Fig. 2, and extends forwardly over the upper end of the burner chamber provided by the burner supporting doors 6, its front end coming over the central axis thereof. A chuck 22, having a lower side shaped. to receive one end of a cam shaft, has a reduced vertical stem 23 extendin' upwardly through the free end of the arm IS. The chuck 22 is located with respect to the various burnernozzles l8 such that when the same are in the position shown in Ag. 4 a cam shaft held at itsupper end in said chuck extends downwardly through the central space surrounded by the nozzles l8.

On the lower end portion .of the bar 20 and below the lower sleeve 2| a shelf member 24 of cast metal is fixed having a horizontal lower side which bears upon-an eccentric 26 mounted 4 is attached. At the same time the arm l9 will bolts 35.

be raised and lowered with said bar 28.

A supporting bracket 25 is-cast integral with the shelf 24 and extends forwardly and downwardly therefrom. At its forward portion it is formed into a substantially cylindrical housing 28. Within this housing there. is mounted a sleeve 38 closed at its lower end and provided with an outwardly extending annular flange 3| at its upper end. The sleeve is guided at its lower end in a bearing made in the lower end of the housing 28 (Fig. 6). A coiled compression spring 32 surrounds the sleeve 30, bears at its lower end upon a shoulder within the housing 28 and at its upper end against a plate between which and the annular flange 3| ball bearings are placed.

From the upper end of the sleeve 38 vertically extending spaced apart cars 33 project between which two opposed chuck jaws 34 are located and pivotally mounted between their ends on cross The lower ends of the chuck members 34 are connected by means of downwardly and inwardly extending links 36 with a head 31 provided at the upper end of a rod 38 which extends downwardly through a suitable opening in the lower closed end 'of sleeve 30 and also through the lower end of the housing 29. A coiled spring 39 surrounds the rod 38 within the sleeve 30 and'bears at its ends respectively on the closed end of the sleeve 30 and against the lower side of the head 31. The normal tendency of the structure described is to elevate the head '31 and thus move the upper ends of the chuck boss- 34 inwardly toward each other;

The lower end of the rod 38 passes through a vertical sleeve 40 formedv on a lever 4| which is ing on the foot pedal 43 in a downward direction the jaws 34 are separated at their upper ends and on release of the foot pedal will automati- 4| is moved downwardly compressing the spring- 32 and opening the chuck jaws 33 and lowering the same so that the lower end portion of the cam shaft may be properly located that, .upon

release of the lever 4|, the bosses move upwardly, one at each side of the lower end. portion of the cam shaft, and grip the same as shown in Fig. 2.

A pipe 48 has a free open end extending into and adjacent the lower end of the heating chamber and adjacent the ends of the lowest nozzles l8. A pilot flame 49 burns continuously at the open end of the pipe. The fuel to the nozzles I8 is cut off during the time when a cam shaft is removed and another placed in position and until the burning supporting doors 5 are moved to closed position. On turning on the fuel the pilot light lights the mixed fuel and air coming from the lowermost nozzles l8, and 'the flame spreads upwardly so that all of the fuel coming from the nozzles is substantially instantaneously lighted.

The shaft 21, which carries the eccentric 26,

the lower chuck mechanism-which grips the lower end of the cam shaft. I In operation, with the shaft 21 turning, there is a reciprocation of the bar 53 and a. rocking or oscillating of the chuck mechanism within the housing 29 so that the cam shaft 46 is rocked or oscillated back and forth about its longitudinal axis. Simultaneously there is a raising and lowering of the cam shaft through the bearing of the eccentric 26 against'the lower side of shelf 24. The nozzles l8 remaining stationary, the cams 41 are not only raised and lowered short distances so that the flame plays over the entire width of the same, but the rocking of the cam shaft back and forth carries the flame over the faces of the cams so that there is not a direct continuous-impingement of the flames against is desirable for a more even heating of the cams and to obviate any destruction. of the cam or overheating of restricted portions thereof by reason of a restriction of the hottest points of theflame against flxed portions of the cam surfaces. 1

The burner carrying doors 6 are releasably latched. in closed position by means of a latch.

56. The doors may be opened by operating a. lever 51 connected to head 58 pivotally mounted (Fig. 1) between spaced apart ears extending from the supporting column 2. Links 58 connect the head 58 to the doors in a manner such that the same may be simultaneously opened or closed.

The stand fuel carried to the tubes 1 is designed be controlled so that it is shut off when the burner carrying doors are opened. This is manually efiected by any suitable valve in the line carrying the fuel and air to said tubes 1 cperated by a rock shaft 60 (Figs. 3 and 5) having a handle 6| accessible at the front side of the machine for the operator to close off the fuel at the time he is about to swing the burner carrying doors open. i

It may not be necessary to reciprocate the cam shaft vertically or rock the same about its axis in some cases. A clutch is shown at 62 in Fig. 3 for connecting and disconnecting the power from the shaft so that the .same may be operated or not operated as may be desired.

With the burner carrying doors in the open position, as shown in Fig. 5, the operator inserts the upper end of a cam shaft in the lower side of the chuck 22, steps on the pedal 43 to separate the lower chuck jaws 34 and move the same downwardly, swings the lower end of the shaft into position directly above the clutch 'jaws and between them and then releases the pedal 43 for the chuck jaws to move upwardlyand grip the '1, if not homogeneously mixed together; will become intimately and homogeneously mixed in passing through the mixing chambers ll, l6 and in the nozzles with a complete combustion of the fuel. The flame from the various nozzles plays directly against the cam faces and substantially over the entire areas thereof due to the rocking and reciprocating movements imparted to the shaft as described. Q

When the cams have been heated sufficiently, that is, to a temperature such that a full red color appears in the earns the fuel is shut off, latch 56 moved to release the burner carrying doors and handle 51 operated to swing the'burner carrying doors to open position as shown in Fig. 5, whereupon the cam shaft treated is removed and a new cold shaft put in its place.

The metal of the cams, or bearing surfaces if the same are to be hardened, on cooling is much harder than it was previous to the heating. The degree of hardness, of course, is dependent upon the rapidity of cooling and the necessary rapidity of cooling will be more or less dependent upon the temperature to which the cams are raised. The cooling may be accomplished in many ways such as by blowing a draft of cold air against the heated cams or by quenching the same in water or, in some cases, by merely placing the, shaft carrying the heated cams in the surrounding atmosphere, if the temperature of such atmosphere is suiiiciently low. This is a matter of test to determine the best conditions.

The construction described is one which has been used practically and commercially and has proved very successful for the purpose for which it is designed. The rapid handling of shafts and heating of the cams or. other bearing or wearing surfaces on a shaft all simultaneously and to substantially the same temperatures are accomplished very successfully. Cast metal cam shafts treated with machines of the construction described are manufactured and used in large quantities. I

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is 'to be considered comprehensive of all'forms of structure coming within their scope. I claim: I 1. In a machine of the class described, means for holding a cam shaft provided with a plurality of cams in substantially a vertical position, a plurality of gas burners in registration with the plurality of cams of the cam shaft; means for igniting the gas from the burners and means for moving the burners in relation with the said cams combined with means for moving the cam shaft longitudinally.

2. In a machine of the class described, upper and lower holding means for releasably engaging and holding the opposite ends of a cam shaft vertically disposed between them, vertically positioned semi-cylindrical burner carrying members pivotally mounted at one side of the shaft to swing away from each other to open position or toward each other to closed position, and burners carried by said members having nozzles directed against the cams on said shaft in the closed position of said members.

3. In a construction of the class described, a vertical supporting column, two vertically positioned semi-cylindrical burner carrying members pivotally mounted to turn about a vertical axis disposed parallel with and located in closeproximity to said column, upper and lower holding means adapted to engage the ends of a cam shaft held vertically between themcarried'by said column and extending therefrom into position whereby a cam shaft held by them is disposed with its axis in substantial coincidence with the central vertical axis of said burner carrying members when closed, and burnersfor gaseous fuel carried on said members and movable therewith, said burners having outlet nozzles which in the closed position are directed toward and spaced short distances from the surfaces of the cams on a cam shaft held by said holding means.

4. A construction containing'the elements in combination defined in claim 3, combined with a tube for carrying a gaseous fuel extending at its upper end into close proximity to the lowermost burners for lighting fuel passing therefrom, and thereby successively lighting the burners thereabove.

5. In a machine of the class described, a support, an upper holder mounted on said support adapted to engage with one end of a, cam shaft, a lower holder carried by said supportdncluding' separate clutch jaws for gripping the lower end of a. cam shaft, manually operable means for moving said clutchjaws downwardly and simultaneously separating the same, burners located around and having nozzles directed against said cams, and members 'swingingly mounted on said support carrying said burners so as to position the same operatively with the ends of said nozzles directed against and spaced short distances from the faces of said cams and for moving the burners away from said cams to an inoperative position;

6. A construction containing the elements in combination'defined in claim 5, combined with means for raising and lowering the holding means for said cam shaft and the shaft carried thereby, andmeans for oscillating'the lower holding means for the cam shaft about a vertical axis 7. In a construction of the class described, a support, two semi-circular. v.vertical burner carrying members mounted at one edge thereof on a pivot rod whereby the same may be swung to open or closed positiommixing chambers carried by the burner carrying members, pipes ternninating in nozzles extending inwardly from each of said mixing chambers to within a short distance of the vertical central axis of said burner carrying members when closed, a container for a combustible fuel mixture to pass through said mixing chambers and out at the ends of the nozzles, and flexible connections between said mixing chambers and the container whereby the burner carryingmembers may be moved and the fuel container remain stationary.

8. In a structure of the class. described, a vertical supporting column, a bar mounted thereon for ,vertical movements, a holder for the upper end'of a cam shaft extending horizontally from said bar and secured thereto, a holder for the lower end of a cam shaft mounted at the lower 5 .end of said bar andextending in the same diing members mounted at adjacent edges on said column to swing inwardly or outwardly about a vertical axis, spaced apart burners terminating in nozzles carried by each of said burner carrying members in closed position being directed toward and spaced a, short distance from the central vertical axis of the burner carrying members when the same are closed, and means for holding a cam shaft with its longitudinal axis in substantially coincidence with the central vertical axis of said closed burner carrying members, and with the spaced apart cams thereon positioned in the same horizontal plane with nozzles of associated burners.

10. A construction containing the elements in combination defined in ciaim 9 combined with flexible conduits connected with said burners for supplying a combustible fuel mixture thereto.

11. A construction containing the elements in combination defined in claim 9, combined with manually operable means for closing off the fuel supply to said burners, and igniting means positioned adjacent the outlet ends of the lowermost of said nozzles for igniting fuel escaping therefrom on resupplying the burners with fuel, the successive burners above the lower burners bein thereupon ignited so that all of the burners are lighted upon resupplying the same with fuel.

12. In a machine of the character described, means for holding a cam shaft for engines, provided with a plurality of spaced apart cams; means for moving the shaft longitudinally; means for turning the shaft in oscillatory movement about its axis; a plurality of gas burners for projecting a flame against the cams of the means for holding a cam shaft for engines, provided with a plurality of spaced apart cams; a plurality of gas burners for projecting flames of .fire against the cams of the cam shaft and means for longitudinally reciprocating the cam shaft for the purpose described.

14. In a machine ofthe character described,

means for holding a shaft having a plurality of cams; means for imparting longitudinal reciprocal movement to the shaft; means for turning the shaft; and. means for directing fire against the cams to heat the same for the purpose specified.

15. In a machine of the character described, means for holding a shaft having a plurality of cams; means for imparting longitudinal movement to the shaft and cams; and means for directing a plurality of flames of fire against the surface of the cams to be hardened, for the purpose specified.

16. In a machine of the character .described, means for holding a cam shaft for engines, provided with a plurality of spaced apart cams; a plurality of gas. burners for projecting jets oil flame against the cams of the cam shaft, means for bodily vibrating the cam shaft and means for adjusting the amplitude of said vibrations as a function of the size of the jets of flame whereby the cams are entirely crossed by an impingement of flame during one-half of a vibration. DONALD J. CAMPBELL. 

